Words / B2

ort-uh-by-OGR-uh-fee/ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒɡrəfi/

An autobiography is a book in which a person writes about their own life: a political autobiography; autobiography as a source. Memoir is a close twin, often more selective; a biography is written by someone else. Treat the autobiography as a source, then evaluate bias. Mix-up: autobiography vs autograph; bibliography. Do not treat every first-person blog post as a published autobiography unless the source says so.

Meaning

A book in which a person writes about their own life.

Examples

• “Treat the autobiography as a source, then evaluate bias, the history paper said.”
• “A political autobiography still needs a publication year, which is the book sense.”

Good to know

an autobiography; autobiographical. Close: memoir / life story. Written by another: biography. Trap: autograph / bibliography. History, literature, and media. A person’s own written life story — still evaluate bias.

Near in meaning

memoir, life story

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